On Feb. 4, I listened to over an hour of debate on House Bill 300. This bill would do two significant things: 1) require ID verification when dropping ballots off at ballot drop boxes or polling locations, and 2) require a voter to deliver an application in person at least 45 days before an election in order to return a ballot through the mail. Currently, a person can drop off signed and sealed ballots, including those of household members, at a secure drop box or send them by mail with no additional requirements. Many citizens voiced their support or opposition, with proponents citing a need for stricter election security due to declining trust in the process.

This is not the only bill addressing election “security risks” this session. Other bills, such as H.B. 205, require mailed ballots to be received before polls close, while H.B. 213 would send ballots only to those who request them rather than to all registered voters.

Is there substance to the fear of election fraud? Opponents of H.B. 300 emphatically reminded the committee that Utah’s most recent election audit found no evidence of significant fraud. In response, the committee members in favor of the bill reiterated that bills like this would help foster more trust in our elections. Rep. Burton, the bill’s sponsor, concluded that this debate was actually a conversation about convenience versus integrity, with “convenience” being fewer obstacles to voting and “integrity” being more rigid election security.

I believe this is a false dichotomy. True election integrity requires both security and accessibility. In a recent interview, Speaker of the House Mike Shultz referenced Utah’s ranking in the bottom third of the country for secure elections, likely citing the Heritage Foundation’s Election Integrity Scorecard, where Utah ranks 33rd out of 50. However, security is only part of election integrity’s delicate balance. Comparing the Heritage Foundation’s data with voter participation data, I found that states with higher election integrity scores often have lower voter turnout. In comparison, those with lower scores tend to have higher turnout.

I am not advocating for weaker election security but for balance. The Carter Center’s 2021 report on election integrity explains: “States should seek to harmonize these two principles (election integrity and voter access) rather than address them as if they are mutually exclusive. When conflicts emerge, any restriction on the right to access must be proportional to the perceived benefit, should represent the least restrictive approach possible, and should be based on objective and reasonable criteria.”

Utah has better voter participation than over half of other states and negligible evidence of voter fraud. These “election integrity” bills do not provide enough benefits to justify their impact on voters. Additionally, H.B. 300 would require more volunteers at drop boxes and would become costly for taxpayers.

Would lower voter turnout and higher spending be worth subduing unsubstantiated voter fraud fears? As Justin Leavitt of the Brennan Center for Justice wrote, “The voter fraud phantom drives policy that disenfranchises actual legitimate voters, without a corresponding actual benefit.” When asked about H.B. 300’s impact on voter turnout, Rep. Burton admitted, “It’s likely that some will decide not to vote.”

Despite the lack of evidence to rationalize stricter voting laws, sweeping election fraud myths have convinced many Utahns that our election systems are not safe. We seem to have an education problem, not an election integrity problem.

Rather than throw money at systems that work as intended, that money could be better spent on widespread election integrity education. Ballot processing centers across Utah have been begging people to visit and tour the facilities because they know that perspective and proximity can greatly quell the fears that are often born out of ignorance.

Let’s listen to the data, not the fearmongers, and protect Utah citizens’ right to both convenient and ethical elections.

Kaelin Stanley is on the Utah Advocacy Committee for Mormon Women for Ethical Government, a nonpartisan organization that promotes principles of ethical government and peacemaking.